The Night
by MRodriguez774
Summary: There's something odd about Lucy's house and she hasn't been able to shake it since moving in. There are noises in the dark, shadows that move, and a presence that makes her skin crawl. Maybe they're just delusions from stress like her parents say or maybe the house is haunted like her friends annoyingly joke about. One night will answer these questions whether she likes it or not.
1. Stress Reliever

The towns' inhabitants were overjoyed with the festivities that were to come when the sun had set. Parents helped their young kids get ready and excited them by telling them all the fun things they were going to partake in. Young adults were excited over much different activities. They looked forward to drinking, smoking, and having sex with their significant others; or a stranger for the people who were single and just didn't care. However, not everyone was as excited for what was to come. Inside one of the very nice looking houses of this lonely town was a young woman asleep in her bed. She had fallen asleep watching TV around noon in her room. Not even the sound of her little brother's loud video games woke her up. Her two story house was one of the many within this friendly neighborhood. This one in particular was old and the white paint had already begun to chip off years ago. The street in front of these houses was shadowed by the large trees on the sidewalk. However, the sunlight passed through these trees since the leaves had started to turn brown and fall. Their green grass was neatly trimmed but was covered with the brown leaves blown off of the trees by the strong winds.

Her mother and father were downstairs enjoying their time off from their jobs on this Saturday afternoon. Her father sat on the couch in the living room, watching an old horror movie on their seventy inch flat screen television. The mother was in the kitchen preparing some food for her daughter in case she stayed out the whole night. Upstairs, their daughter Lucy lay in her bed with the door shut and her TV still turned on. The channel she was watching had started the news for the afternoon. They spoke about the weather, some break-ins and vandalism that had happened at some nearby stores and of course the events to begin in just a matter of hours. A little wind blew through the window she had left open before falling asleep. Below the window was her desk with her school textbooks and papers on top of it. Beside her TV was a hairdresser with a large mirror and underneath it was her hair straightener, curler, make-up boxes, and nail polishes. It was all neatly placed together on top of the hairdresser. Her phone vibrated on her wooden nightstand beside her bed. After the fourth vibration, her eyes slowly opened to see her phone lit up.

Lucy's face was buried in her pillow and she annoyingly grunted after waking up. Her arms and legs were stretched as far as they could before sitting up on her knees. The phone stopped ringing but then one last vibrate came indicating she received a message. Her long, light brown hair was a mess from the nap she had taken. The wind from outside had made her cold since she only had on a tank top and shorts. She turned to the TV that was still on and saw they began talking about the town's history. Without another word being said from the news' anchor, she grabbed the remote and changed the channel to an old show she used to watch. After changing the channel she grabbed her phone and turned it on to read the message. It was from her best friend Tara merely saying, _call me._ She tapped the icon at the top of the message and it started to call her.

"Hello?" she answered on the first ring.

"You called?" she said tiredly.

"Why didn't you answer me?!"

"I was asleep."

"You lazy ass. What're your plans for tonight?" Lucy looked at her phone to see the time.

"I'm not going with you anywhere," she said bringing it back to her ear.

"Why not?" she asked disappointingly.

"Because I just want to be home. You know I don't like going to parties."

"Come on! Come with me please! Zach is going with me but I'm not gonna have that much fun if you don't come with me."

"Zach's enough to have fun with. You two are made for parties and I can't stand them. Besides, I always end up having to take care of one of you."

"That's why I love bringing you because you're my sober eyes in case some creeper decides to try and take me home." She knew her friend so well that she could picture Tara smiling on the other end when she said this.

"Come on Tara I don't want to go. Yesterday I had two tests and I studied all night for them. I still feel like I failed one of them. Please let me chill today."

"Fine then. If I get taken advantage of you're gonna get a long angry call from me tomorrow." Lucy sighed and smiled thinking about all the things her friend has gotten herself into at these parties. She preferred to stay home but Tara was her best friend and she loved her. Tara knew she would crack anyway since she stayed on the line. Lucy could never handle being guilt tripped.

"Okay okay fine I'll go with you."

"Yay! Get ready and I'll pick you up in half an hour." Lucy hung up the phone and stared at her messy bed. She stood up and fixed the covers and pillows back to normal. She walked over to her closet beside the front door. There were many shirts, jeans, and some dresses. On the left door hung many different types of necklaces on three hooks and on the right was a mirror the size of her body. She pulled out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, indifferent about what she wore to this party since she was clearly only there as a designated driver. Before leaving she switched her phone from vibrate to loud then from there she opened her door and walked down the hall towards the bathroom. Before opening the door she saw her parents over the railing, leaving through the front. She heard her phone ring from her room which forced her to talk back to her room with a sigh. She picked up the phone and saw it was her mother calling.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hey sweetie, we just left the house okay?"

"Yeah I saw you, mom. You have Danny?"

"Yeah we're going to take him to the festival. Are you going to be home tonight?"

"Tara wants me to go with her to this party but we're not gonna stay long I'm sure."

"Okay there's food for you on the stove in case you come home early. Please be careful and don't drink and drive."

"I won't mom. Have fun."

"Love you, baby."

"Love you too." She put her phone back on the nightstand then walked back to the bathroom. About fifteen minutes later, she came out of the bathroom with her hair wet and in the fresh clothes she picked out. She gave a quick glance to her phone for the time and realized she had some to spare. She changed the channel again until she found a movie playing. It was the horror movie The Thing and was already playing in the middle. She left it playing since the only scary movies she couldn't stand were the ones with ghosts. She could always watch the bloody movies with serial killers and whatnot but when it came to ghosts she just couldn't handle it. It was because of this she was constantly made fun by her dad and friends. The wind from outside grew stronger and blew the papers from her desk to the floor. She stood up and gathered them from the ground then placed them messily on top of her desk. So that they wouldn't fall to the floor again, she used one of the textbooks to hold them down. When she glanced out the window, a dark figure was by the bushes that separated their house from the neighbors. She turned back again quickly but there was nothing there this time. She looked around the front yard before shutting her window closed. She stood there in front of the window wondering what it was she saw, or think she saw. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply before forcing herself to snap out of it.

Once again lying on her bed she found herself worrying about the tests she had taken Friday. A lot of the time when school came up in her mind, she wished she could be like her best friend and not worry too much about those things. It always seemed to come to Tara so easily. There was always this kind of pressure on her shoulders, especially from her parents. Friends like Tara are what made it easier. This year at school was her last and she hoped that she'd be relaxing like most of her friends. College was going to be a lot harder and she knew that, but she looked forward to getting out of the town. Over the years since moving into the house, she'd heard so many stories; especially from Tara and Zach. They would mess with her so much saying it was haunted, despite knowing how she felt about things like that.

The house itself didn't make it any easier. During the nights when she couldn't sleep or stayed up studying, she'd always heard noises. Her parents shrugged it off saying it was because of how old the house was. Had she never heard any of the stories, she might've believed them. She had many nightmares since living in the house and one in particular was the reason her door was always closed during the nighttime. It felt so real that sometimes she wondered whether it was even a nightmare or not. She'd lay in bed awake and then turn to her side only to see a dark shape standing in the hallway as if someone was inside watching her from the corner of the wall. Her heart would race as she could feel its stare on her. It wasn't until she gathered up the courage to get up and close the door did she not see it anymore. She closed the door and opened it again to see if it was still there but it wasn't. Still she wondered if this was only in her dreams or if it had actually happened. It felt real and she could feel the beads of sweat on her skin as well as her tired heart trying to beat to a normal rhythm again. After that she began to see it everywhere in the darkness. The outline of this shape was by every dark corner, inside every closet filled with blackness, and every shadow cast by the moonlight. She would need to look twice when she walked across the hallway when she saw the darkness down in the living room.

Lucy never even bothered to tell her friends for the fear that they would make it worse. This house scared her and knowing that college was coming around the corner was the only thing that gave her comfort. The town was just as bad but only to her it seemed. To everyone else it was a fine place now but to her it was another reason she wanted out. Everyone knew everyone in the town and because of this, in school; she was the girl to live in _the house._ It was this town's horrible tragedy and she was stuck inside of it. The movie on TV was almost over so she snapped out of her thoughts and picked up her phone. It was long past half an hour but she wasn't surprised, Tara never showed up on time. The credits for the movie rolled but it showed that An American Werewolf in London was up next so she left the channel on. A text message popped up in her phone. It lit up to show it was from Tara.

 _I'm almost there btw you should thank me because Billy is going to be at the party._

A smile formed on her face. Billy was one of the guys from her school and he was also in two of her classes. He was one of the few people who didn't give her an odd look the first time seeing her because she was the one who lived in _the house_. Everyone seemed to only know her because of the house she moved into but Billy never even mentioned it when they talked. It was as if he didn't care about the things she knew he had heard about or maybe he just didn't know. Every time she had class with him he would always make her laugh by whispering jokes during lectures, the two of them often got in trouble because of this but she didn't care; he made it fun for her. She had been talking to him since they started their classes together but she knew of him before since Zach was one of his friends. After seeing him a few times and hearing about him from Zach, she started to grow a small crush for him. Once they started talking in their classes she started to actually like him but never thought of doing something about it. Tara was the kind of girl to flirt but Lucy's way was just laughing at his jokes and telling her own. She never touched him, unless it was by accident, and she always caught herself staring and made sure it wasn't for too long. Knowing that he was going to be there made this an even better night.

As soon as the next movie started she heard a honk from outside. She got up from her bed and saw Tara's red Camry in front of her house. She turned off the TV, grabbed her wallet and keys then closed the door from her room on the way out. She walked down the stairs then out the front door. Quickly, she locked the door then ran to her friend's car. Through her peripherals she saw a figure move behind the bushes. She held tightly onto the door handle and eyed the sidewalk and bushes carefully. She was startled by feeling the door open but she saw that Tara had just pushed it from the inside.

"Come on! Let's go!" she yelled with a grin. Lucy looked back at the bushes one more time then got inside the car, hoping that her imagination would stop playing tricks once she was with her friends.

Officer James Bolivar had been a policeman for only two years in this town. He had been transferred from Jacksonville to stay closer to his mom since she had been going through brain cancer. She had died in his second year living here since they didn't catch it in time. There were many times he wanted to leave after she passed but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. His father came through from Jacksonville trying to get him to leave for a bit to take his mind off of his mother, however Bolivar couldn't do it. So he endured the loss and tried to manage his sadness through work even though nothing seemed to happen in the town. When he first arrived, being the young policeman he was he couldn't help but hope for more action.

Now he wished differently with all that had been happening. It had been a busy day for the police, much busier than what was to be expected. Bolivar stood inside a teenage girl's bedroom writing down some notes on his little black notepad. They had already taken the girl's body but the house was still full of other officers and the forensic team. The teenager was strangled to death while the parents were out and the police were called once they returned. Bolivar was the first one on the scene, believing she died a couple hours before the parents had returned home. There was so much fear and pain in her face when he found her. It looked like she was frozen in her last final moments, reliving the emotions she experienced when she died. He knew not to touch the body before everyone else was there so they could investigate what happened but he so desperately wanted to close her eyes.

He finally believed it was time for some fresh air. He needed to get away from the watery eyed parents and the crowds and chatter from the policemen and women. The fresh air outside of the house felt good to breathe in. He looked across the street and stared up and down at this once peaceful neighborhood. Just like all the other cops in the town, he grew familiar with its history. It was very impressive how much effort was put into making everyone forget about that terrible night. This red Camry drove by and he locked eyes with this beautiful young woman. The rest of her friends were talking and smiling but she seemed to be the only one who was a bit worried about the cops in this house. The car turned at the end of the street and he turned his attention back to this lonely road in front of him. With a few break-ins and now a murder, Bolivar was beginning to worry that this was going to be a long night.


	2. Fun Night

The sun had set and was replaced by the moon. Laughter and music could be heard from the festival going on miles away. More music could be heard from inside some of the houses as they danced and drank the night away. The red Camry drove up to the house once again but this time Lucy was in the driver's seat. She came out of the car with a jacket twice her size covering her up. Zach came out from her side of the car while another man came out from the passenger seat. Tara opened the back door and came out with another man. The five of them started to walk to Lucy's house together, Tara and the man stumbling a bit on their way. All of them looked to be around the same age. Zach slowly walked up the concrete path leading to the front door. Lucy touched his back softly.

"Are you okay?" she grinned.

"Yeah I'm fine," he replied with a big smile.

"You're baked is what you are," laughed the man walking beside Lucy. Zach just laughed with a big grin on his face.

"Billy, I still don't get why we had to leave," he said slowly. "I'm pretty sure I could've made it with that girl I was making out with."

"Dude, trust me you wouldn't be proud of that." Tara pulled Lucy towards her.

"You sure your parents are okay with me bringing Stu inside?" she asked.

"Yeah they said they were going to my aunt's house now and that they'll be back tomorrow." Tara just gave a cheeky smile. Billy leaned over to her.

"She's pretty drunk," he whispered. "You sure you want those two inside your house alone?"

"She's done worse inside of my house, besides Stu is actually a good guy. I've known him since middle school."

"Okay but you be sure to point out the spots where she's _done worse_ so I don't go near them."

"I will," she laughed. They reached the door and Lucy opened it. They walked inside of the dark house. All five of them took up spots inside of the living room. Tara and Stu took up the big couch while Lucy and Billy sat on the small couch together. Zach sat on the last piece of furniture left which was a big leather recliner chair. He grabbed the remote on the glass table in the center and turned on the TV for some light. The channel was the same Lucy had been watching up in her room. She loved that her dad shared her same taste in movies. This time it was the movie Scream.

"Oh I love this movie," said Billy excitedly.

"Yeah but the last one sucked so badly," Zach said laughing. "These movies crack me up though. Hey Lucy you got any popcorn?"

"Yeah sure I'll be right back." He started to laugh loudly. "What?" she asked when she stood up.

"You broke one of the rules already," said Stu smiling as he held Tara closer to him.

"You're gonna be the first one to die," chuckled Billy. Lucy rolled her eyes.

"Please," she said as she started walking to the kitchen, "if anyone is the first to die it's going to be Zach or Tara." She walked through the doorway and switched the lights on.

"What the fuck?" giggled Tara. "Why me?" Lucy poked her head out the doorway of the kitchen.

"You know exactly why," she raised her eyebrows. Tara replied with a middle finger and a smile.

"I'm fine with dying high," said Zach as he laughed at one of the deaths in the movie. Lucy searched through the cupboards for the popcorn but found nothing. She tried the ones in the top and found the last bag. She put the bag inside the microwave and set the time. While she waited she grabbed a water bottle from the fridge then heard some creaking above her. The creaking continued across the ceiling and she followed it until she felt a heavy hand on her shoulder. Her body jolted and she turned around quickly breathing heavily only to find it was Billy standing behind her.

"Whoa I'm sorry," he said with a soft laugh. "I didn't mean to scare you. Are you okay?" She nodded as she tried to slow down her breathing.

"How long were you there?"

"Since you opened the fridge."

"Did you hear any creaking in the ceiling?" He raised his brow and looked up.

"No why?"

"Sorry I thought I heard something."

"It's all those movies you watch," he laughed.

"Yeah maybe," she said as she took another glance at the ceiling.

"Can I have one of those?" he asked pointing to the bottle of water. She turned around and pulled another out of the fridge, then handed it to him. The two of them leaned on the counter across from the microwave staying silent as they watched the plate inside the turn. Lucy watched as the bag grew bigger and bigger each second. She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes hoping he'd say something. However, he did the exact same thing.

"So," she said slowly, "did you finish the trig homework?" she asked awkwardly.

"Uh yeah. Why? Did you need some of the answers?" he asked just as awkwardly.

"No I actually finished it this morning." He nodded and bit his lip a bit. "Besides," he turned to look at her again, "you're kind of bad at trig." A smile slowly formed and then he laughed.

"Wow that kind of hurt a bit."

"It's true," she giggled. "We sit right next to each other and sometimes I see how bad you are at it. You get lucky at times but then there's times where I'm just like wow." He took another drink from his water when he stopped laughing for a bit.

"It's because I don't study," he said. "I don't know how you do it but I've never been able to study in my life."

"That explains a lot."

"Wait you glance at my work and know I'm wrong and don't even say anything?"

"Yeah," she said with a shy smile.

"Wow you don't even help me," he chuckled.

"How else are you going to learn?" she teased.

"Oh okay," he laughed. "I see you got jokes. You know you like having me in that class. If it weren't for me it'd be so dull in there for you. I make trig fun for you and you know it."

"Yeah you're right," she smiled. The microwave timer went off so Billy opened it and opened the bag. She grabbed a bowl from one of cupboards and held it in front of him. He poured the popcorn into the bowl and once it was all out he grabbed and tossed it in his mouth. She turned the lights back off then they walked back into the living room and handed Zach the bowl. All five of them sat together watching the movie and laughing about funny times they shared with one another.

"Lucy," said Stu, "Remember in eighth grade when we would do laps on the field?"

"Yeah why?"

"Remember after it rained the teacher still made us do laps and you and I jumped over the mud, then when Jeff tried to do it he slipped and fell on his ass."

"Yeah," she laughed. "That was so funny but I felt bad for him."

"You two are jerks," snickered Tara.

"It was hilarious, babe. If you had been there you'd know why it was so funny. He didn't just slip and fall on his ass. When he fell and hit the ground, he bounced right back onto his feet."

"It was really funny, Tara," said Lucy.

"Nah Billy, remember when we were walking through school and that guy in front of us slipped on an orange?" laughed Zach. Billy started laughing really hard.

"I felt like such an asshole because I tried to stop myself from laughing but I couldn't. As soon as he was out of sight I let it all out." Tara whispered something to Stu and he nodded. The two of them stood up together and started to walk away.

"We're gonna go to the guest room," said Tara.

"Please don't throw up in there again," said her best friend.

"I won't," she said as she turned back. "I promise nothing over PG-13," she winked. Zach placed the bowl on the table then stood up as well.

"Please," said Billy, "don't go over there and spy on them." Zach stared at him offended then chuckled softly.

"Do you really think I would do that?" Billy tilted his head. "Relax, man. I'm just going to the bathroom besides its Tara. I've already seen all there needs to be seen." He walked off to the bathroom beside the stairs, leaving Billy and Lucy alone to watch the movie for a bit. The two watched the movie and made nasty faces when someone died brutally. Billy put his arm around Lucy's shoulders.

"Thanks for your jacket." He hugged her closer to him.

"No problem," he said as she leaned her head back against his chest. "I've been meaning to ask you something." She turned her head so she could look up at him, admiring his handsome features. His short, dark brown hair was combed to the side. His clean shaven skin looked so smooth and showed off his jawline. He looked down at her and admired her beauty. He liked her nice defined cheekbones, small dark brown eyes, and her long, wavy hair.

"Yeah?" He took a deep breath.

"Well I was thinking maybe you and I could go out some time. Like on a date." She grabbed his hand with her own and smirked.

"I'd really like that," she said softly.

"How's tomorrow sound?"

"Sounds like a plan." She turned her head back to the movie and smiled excitedly. Zach was walking back to the couch, causing the two of them to turn back to him. They noticed his black hair was wet. "What did you do?"

"The pot makes me all hot," he said. "I had to refresh my face." When he sat down, he noticed how close they sat together. "Did you finally ask her out?" Lucy just smiled and turned back to the TV. "Alright," he laughed, "my man! It's about time. You two kids have fun on your date. Oh Billy don't talk about ghosts it really freaks her out."

"Really?" he chuckled. Lucy just shook her head.

"Yeah, man. You should've seen how she reacted when we told her about the people who died here."

"Zach," she said as she glared at him. He held his hands up in surrender.

"You mean the guy who killed his family?" Lucy sighed and looked down.

"Yeah and then came back years later."

"That was here?" Zach nodded with his brows raised and eyes widened. "Didn't a girl survive?"

"When he came back yeah but she killed herself afterwards. It was all too much for her and the fact that they never found his body just added to her trauma."

"Okay," she said sternly, "that's enough. I don't want to hear anymore."

"It's just a story, Lucy," he said. She stood up and took a deep breath.

"If you want to talk about it, feel free. I'm not gonna be here to listen to it." She walked up the stairs and into the room without even looking at the other side of the hallway. With her back still turned to the darkness she shut her door. Billy stared at his friend disappointedly. Zach merely shrugged and threw another piece of popcorn in his mouth. Billy sighed then made his way upstairs. He knocked on the door.

"It's me. Can I come in?" It was silent in her room. The only sound he heard was from the TV downstairs.

"Go ahead," she said softly. She saw him in her doorway but sat up quickly once the door was open she gasped. While she was lying down she could see the dark figure at the end of the hall. When she sat up, he blocked her view but he could see the fear in her eyes so he turned around. When he turned, she saw nothing and let out the air she'd taken in. She started to breathe fast after having seen what she feared. She didn't know what to believe anymore. It felt as if she was haunted to see these frightening shadows of the unknown. There was no clue why she kept seeing them but the thought of not knowing what they were or what they wanted is what truly scared her. She wanted to leave the house so badly.

"Whoa are you okay? What happened?"

"Just please shut the door."

When he returned to the station, Bolivar spent majority of the day time that was left writing the report on the murder scene. He spent most of his time rubbing his eyes trying to erase the image of that girl's body. His shift had finally ended and his report was all finished. When he pushed through the doors of the station the sun had already left from the sky. He entered his car and reached over into his glove compartment. He pulled out a metal flask full of bourbon and took in two gulps of the liquor. It burned his mouth but felt cool as it passed through down his throat. The thought of being a policeman and drinking before driving was funny to him, bringing a smirk to his face. He drove off into the street, feeling more depressed as ever and hoping that the night would end peacefully so that he might drink himself to sleep.

There were many kids out in the street with their parents so he had to be careful since his buzz was finally starting to take effect. He came to a red light and among the groups of people on the sidewalk there was one who grabbed his attention. There was one man who stood still as a statue in the shadows of night. Amidst the darkness, Bolivar could barely make out his face. Perhaps it was the alcohol buzz but all he could see was a white blur atop a dark blue outfit. The light turned green so he slowly pressed on the gas pedal. As he slowly neared closer to the man he finally saw movement and now the shape of the man's body was gone. Bolivar sped up in the hopes to see this odd figure but when he finally passed the tree the shape was gone. All he could see were the hedges on the side of the house leading to more shadows. He turned his gaze, wondering if he was seeing things but then he noticed there was a red Camry in front of the house where he lost this shape. It looked like the same one he had seen earlier in front of the murder house. Beside the car was the address number of the house, which read seven zero seven. For some reason, the number meant something to him but he could not remember what.

There was a parking space on the side of the street and he took it. The car was parked then turned off while he rubbed his temple, struggling to remember why this address number meant something to him. He sat there glancing over to the house then back to the road in front of him wondering just what it was that was familiar about the house. Finally he decided he needed to call someone for help so he grabbed his phone and called one of his friends from the station. He sat there impatiently waiting as it rang and rang.

"Hello?" finally said a man on the other line.

"Hey Andy its James," he said into his phone.

"Hey James what's up? You caught me just leaving the station."

"Yeah I'm sorry man I'm stumped on something and I figured you'd be able to help me out on it."

"Sure what is it?"

"Does seven zero seven Meridian Avenue mean anything to you?"

"Uh yeah man. That's the murder house remember? That little boy killed his sister there remember?"

"Shit," uttered Bolivar as he glanced over to the house again. He couldn't believe he didn't remember. "Thanks." He hung up the phone then walked over to the front door of the house.


	3. No Conscious

Tara and Stu were nearly naked as they continued kissing. She straddled him and kissed his lips as he massaged her breasts. She slowly ran her hands down his chest then onto his abs, feeling his muscles. Her hand slid into his boxers and caressed him softly. She removed her hand and slowly sat on top of it, rubbing herself along it tenderly. He moved his hand down her abdomen then inside of her underwear, his fingers going inside of her. She could feel how hard he was and wanted him inside so bad. Her hands clenched and pulled his long, brown hair hard as she strongly contemplated removing her underwear. As she pulled his head back, she stared into his eyes trying to decide if she wanted it this bad.

"If you don't want to, it's okay," he said breathlessly.

"I don't know if I do or not," she whispered. He slid his hand out from her underwear.

"Let me make it easier." He planted a soft kiss onto her lips. She returned the kiss and held him close. "If you're not sure then we're not going to tonight. I'm in no hurry," he smiled.

"Why has Lucy been hiding you from me?" she grinned.

"She probably wanted me all to herself. You think she'd go for a three way?" She let go of his hair and slapped his chest. "Just a joke," he laughed. She got off of him and lay down beside him. "I'll be back," he said rolling off of the bed. "I need some water," he said as he put his pants back on.

"If you already need water after that then I don't think you'll be able to handle the real thing," she teased.

"Oh I'll handle don't you worry," he chuckled. "I'll handle and then still be ready for round two."

"We'll see," she said with a smirk. He walked out of the room and saw Zach still watching TV but no sign of Billy or Lucy. A quick glance upstairs and he smiled, suspecting those two were up in her room having a good time. His attention turned to the kitchen as he started to walk towards it; Zach didn't even hear him walk by. He also didn't notice a shadow step out from the dark corner under the stairs. It walked right behind Zach without him noticing. Stu walked onto the cold hard tile of the kitchen floor, immediately flinching from the feeling. He searched the wall for the light switch but was unable to find it. In the dark, he could see the grey door of the fridge so he just walked towards it and opened it. The light from inside revealed the blank, pale, emotionless face of the figure behind him. There was no emotion in its face or its eyes. Stu grabbed one of the waters and drank from it, still unable to feel the presence of this figure behind him. He looked to the glass door leading to the patio outside and found something odd.

Slowly, he walked closer to it to get a better look. As he was walking he felt a sharp sting in his foot. He bent down to see that he had stepped in some glass on the floor. When he looked up he realized the glass was from the broken piece beside the door handle. He stood up straight still staring at the glass then he turned around slowly. There was a constricting feeling on his throat that restricted him from calling out for help then a sharp pain in his stomach and then another, and another. His vision was blurry but all he saw was white then his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

Zach continued watching the movie on TV with a bored look on his face. He hadn't laughed in a while which made him realize he was coming down from his high. He was disappointed that he didn't managed to get anymore weed from the party. The popcorn bowl was empty with the exception of the kernels at the bottom. He sighed and placed the bowl on the table then reached for the remote. Before he changed the channel he remembered something. He searched the pockets of his jacket for it and finally found it from the one inside. He pulled out a blunt and a wide grin formed on his face.

"Thank you, high Zach," he grinned. "This should make the movie more interesting." From his jean pocket, he pulled out his lighter then stuck the blunt in his mouth. The flame lit the paper and the herbs inside, allowing him to suck in the air. He held it in for a long minute then blew all the smoke out from his lungs. After that he could feel the sensation coming back to him and it brought a big smile to his face as he chuckled softly. The figure now stood behind him, watching the movie on the TV. The killer in the movie had just stabbed a guy inside of a van repeatedly. This made the figure tilt his head then he looked down at the man watching the movie and smoking. Before he could even react, Zach felt a hand under his chin and another on the top of his head. In one swift motion, his head was twisted to the side snapping the bones within his neck.

Tara rolled over to sit down on the edge of the bed. She grabbed Stu's shirt and slipped it on over her nude breasts. The room had gotten too dark so when she reached out to turn on the lamp, she accidentally pushed it over to the ground. There was a loud thud when it fell to the ground.

"Shit," she said. She bent down to pick it up and didn't hear the door behind her open. Tara put the lamp back on the nightstand and switched it on but the bulb had broken. "Damn it," she whispered. She moved to try and grab the wall but it only made her step on a piece of glass on the floor. "Fuck!" she yelled out. With her hands on the wall, she managed to find the bathroom. Luckily for her the light worked in the bathroom so she grabbed some toilet paper, wet it a bit, and dabbed her foot with it. It wasn't a serious cut so she just put some pressure on the wound for a bit until it stopped hurting. Once it stopped she stood in front of the mirror above the sink and fixed her messy, black hair. After she approved the hair, she stared at herself for a moment and then noticed a black shape behind the curtains of the shower. Suddenly, the curtain was ripped from the bar and wrapped around her. She panicked and slipped on the rug, hitting the floor hard on her stomach and her cheek had bounced on the tile. She rose up pushing the curtain off of herself and reeling from the hard fall but then the first thing she saw was a hand coming over her shoulder and grabbing her throat. With its grip crushing her windpipe she couldn't gather the air she needed to scream for help. The sound of heavy breathing reached her ear then she turned her head a little toward the mirror showing her the shapes pale face standing behind her. Her vision started to get a bit hazy as she was beginning to pass out. However before she passed out, she felt sharp cold steel slide against her neck.

Billy sat on the edge of her bed and placed his hand on top of hers. He hadn't seen her so upset before so it was still very new to him. She touched the top of his hand with her thumb and softly caressed his skin. Her eyes looked up from his hand to his eyes. This house terrified her, the town scared her, and the stories only added more to her hysteria. However in this moment, she forgot it all. All she felt was the comforting presence of someone she liked and a touch that made her feel safe.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. "You must think I'm crazy."

"Not at all. If I lived here I'd probably be scared too."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"Is it working?" She smiled and nodded. "Then what's the problem?" he smirked. She laughed and stared deep into his eyes. Even though everything was bad, she felt this was the one good thing to come from this place.

"I think I'm seeing things, Billy."

"What kind of things?"

"I don't know. I've only seen them since I've been in this house. I keep thinking someone is out there waiting for me, stalking me. When I go outside and I see some creepy person on the street I think it's the same one from my house. I just feel like every time I see a shady person outside, it might just be the one who's terrorizing me in this house."

"And you think it's a ghost?"

"I don't know what it is. I don't know if it's my imagination or if it's really there or if I'm just going nuts. It didn't help that Zach and Tara told me the story about what happened here."

"But that was years ago. You can't really think that guy could still be alive, Lucy."

"I don't know what to think anymore. I see someone in my hallway, in the living room, or in some dark place of the house and I don't know if it's real or not. If it is real then I don't know what's going to happen to me once it finally decides it's going to stop just staring."

"Hey," he leaned forward, "I'm not going to let anything happen to you, Lucy." She stared at him, then his lips. She closed her eyes as he leaned forward to press his lips against hers. When he opened his eyes again she was smiling with her eyes still closed. She had been scared in her own house for so long wondering if she had been going insane or not. In this moment though, she felt normal. "Let's go back downstairs okay?" She nodded. He held her hand and led her out the door. There was someone sitting against her parent's door at the end of the hall.

"Do you see that?" she asked nervously while clutching his arm.

"Yeah I do." He squinted to see what it was. "It's probably just Zach. When he gets super high he'll go to sleep in the weirdest places. Don't worry." Her grip on his arm tightened as the two of them walked towards him. She glanced over at her brother's room and saw it dark and empty. They slowly walked passed the bathroom until she realized she really had to go.

"I have to use the bathroom."

"Okay you go and I'll grab Zach off the ground alright?" She nodded and let him go. She reached out and grabbed the knob while still looking over to him. He knelt down in front of his friend and tapped his shoulder to wake him. When he tapped him he noticed how stiff his body felt. She twisted the knob to open the door. He lifted his friends head up to see the life long gone from his eyes and when he let him go, the head slung over to his shoulder like a spring. She opened the door to find Tara inside the bathroom on the toilet with her head up and blood dripping down her body from her slit throat. Lucy screamed and stumbled back against the railing. She slowly backed away as Billy ran towards the bathroom and saw Tara.

"Jesus Christ," he gasped. She slowly backed away, not turning from the bathroom, shocked at what she had seen. There was a knock on the front door but they couldn't hear it over the sounds from the TV.

"Police!" called out Officer Bolivar from behind the front door. Lucy was unable to see the pale face slowly emerge from the shadows of her brother's room. When she finally saw it, she had already gotten pierced by the butcher knife. A cry of pain escaped her as the blade penetrated her shoulder but Officer Bolivar couldn't hear her scream because of the loud movie on TV. It sounded pretty normal in there since all he could hear was, what he suspected, a horror movie on their TV. However, he could not rid himself of this feeling in his gut. Following his gut, he slowly moved over to the side of the house where he first lost the shape. The gate was unlocked and slightly opened so he unclipped the gun from his belt. He looked into the dark path in front of him and took a deep breath before cautiously walking into it.

Billy ran out from the bathroom to see Lucy stumble back and fall down the stairs, the knife still in her. He turned and saw it staring at him. Her vision was hazy but she could see the two of them grabbing one another. She had landed on her back once she hit the ground and when she turned she saw the knife in her shoulder. Sluggishly, she grabbed the handle and tried to pull it out. With screams and tears in her eyes, she pulled it out. Billy tried shoving it but to no avail, it was inhumanly strong and heaved him back to the floor. With Billy down, it looked over the railing and saw Lucy still alive. She locked eyes with the black holes where its eyes should've been. Her nightmares had come to fruition as she finally saw her fear manifested. Billy took advantage and grabbed the shape to throw it over the railing. It worked as it was thrown over and landed on the glass table beneath the stairs. She watched it lay there motionless on the floor and didn't even notice Billy come down the stairs to be beside her.

"Are you okay?" She didn't turn away. "Lucy?" He grabbed her arm and shook her. "Hey! Are you okay?" he asked breathlessly. Finally she looked at him with her eyes wide open.

"Is it dead?"

"I'm pretty sure he is but we're not gonna check. We're getting the fuck out of here. We'll get outside then call the cops." The two of them were walking backwards toward the front door, unable to remove their gaze from the body on the ground. Lucy didn't notice the closet door slowly opening beside her. When she saw the movement from the corner of her eye she turned to it, only to see her friend Stu falling out of the dark room. She shrieked as she watched her dead friend fall on her. Billy tried to hold him but was too late as both of them fell to the floor with Stu on top of them. Lucy felt the blood dripping out from his wounds onto her hands and stomach. Billy was trying to move the body aside and didn't see the shape sit up. Lucy however saw it then it turned its head to her, and she could feel its gaze.

"Billy, it's alive," she cried. He turned around and saw it walking towards them.

"Shit," he said as he finally flipped Stu off of Lucy but onto his own legs. "Go! Run to the back!" She stood up and ran through the couches as she watched it walk towards Billy. It picked up the knife Lucy pulled out and continued walking towards him. "Ah shit," he said when he saw the knife in its hand. She was already in the kitchen but watched as it neared Billy. She glanced at the door then back at him, unsure of what to do. Finally he slid out of the dead weight but just as it cut through the air with the knife. The knife hit its mark as it sliced Billy on his stomach, knocking him back into the wall. He held his stomach, feeling blood ooze out, as he struggled to get to his feet. Before it could cut him again, Lucy jumped on its back and stabbed it in the chest. She was knocked off but Billy pulled the knife from its chest and stabbed it again. Again he pulled the knife out but felt its knife puncture through his abdomen. The knife was shoved deeper inside, pushing Billy against the wall.

"No!" she cried out. Blood flowed out from his mouth as he slid down the wall to the ground. It raised the knife in the air about to finish him. "Hey!" she yelled out. "Asshole over here!" It turned around to face her.

"Get out of here!" yelled Billy before he slid his knife to her on the floor. She picked it up and ran upstairs with it following. She dashed across the hall into her parents' bedroom and opened their balcony door. The height from the balcony to the floor was pretty steep.

"Shit," she said thinking how badly she could get hurt if she landed wrong. She turned back to the room and pulled out her phone from her pocket. Her hands were shaking from the fear then they grew worse when she heard the footsteps coming from the hallway. She accidentally dropped the phone to the floor then ran into the closet of the room. The shape walked inside the bedroom and saw the balcony door open but it didn't step out onto it. Lucy stepped out of the closet behind it and kicked its hand, knocking the knife to the floor. As soon as the knife hit the floor, she felt its hands on her throat. She coughed as she felt her throat being crushed. The knife was grabbed with both her hands and thrusted into its stomach. The grip loosened so she stabbed it again and then again. The shape stumbled back a bit then there was a loud bang and it hit the floor. Lucy turned around to see Officer Bolivar standing in the doorway.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Please my friend is downstairs," she said with tears in her eyes while holding tightly onto the blade. "He's badly hurt."

"Don't worry," he said as he walked closer to her. "We'll get him some help." He looked over to the shape on the ground. The moonlight shined through the glass balcony doors, enlightening the body. He now could clearly see the figure with its light brown hair and dark jumpsuit. It wasn't breathing anymore so he grabbed Lucy's hand and started to lead her out of the room. Suddenly, Lucy felt a heavy hand on her shoulder before she was pulled back. She was violently pulled back and tossed into the nightstand beside her parent's bed. Bolivar looked on in shock as the shape was standing once again before him. He pulled out his gun but then his wrist was grabbed with incredible strength. Bolivar could not believe the strength of the shape as it forced him to drop the gun. After the gun was dropped he swung his free hand into its face but to no avail. The strike didn't even phase the shape as he simply threw him down to the ground. In a panic, he reached for anything to help him defend himself and found the butcher knife. He stabbed the knife forward but once again his arm was grabbed. The knife was pried from his Bolivar's grip then brought down onto his chest again and again.

Lucy looked up and saw the cop being stabbed repeatedly until she saw the gun on the floor. She quickly crawled toward it then shot the shape in its back. The stabbing had stopped as the shape struggled to stand up straight so she shot it again. However, it continued to rise up so she began to shoot wildly. Some shots landed but others hit the wall and furniture of the room. Even with the shots that did puncture the flesh, it still rose up. She pulled the trigger but no bullets shot out so now she watched the shape stare at her and turn its head to the side. It took one step but Bolivar lifted his leg up hitting it in the groin. It turned its attention back to the dying Officer and stabbed him one last time in the throat. When the shape turned back, Lucy was charging him with her knife once again in her hand; the Officer's last action was not in vain. The blade found its mark in the shape's abdomen but Lucy didn't stop stabbing. She saw its arm rise up to stab her but she sliced its hand, forcing it to drop the blade. Next she sliced its leg, bringing it down to one knee. She threw all her weight into the next stab, bringing the shape to the ground. She straddled it and stabbed it repeatedly on the chest, crying. After the seventeenth stab, she removed the knife and stared down at it. It wore a white mask, she realized. With a shaky hand she reached out to try and remove it. However, when her blood covered hands touched the rubber mask she pulled back. She pushed herself back against the wall behind her, with the blade still in hand waiting for it to rise up again. She looked down at her trembling, blood stained hands and threw the knife on the ground. Blood had splattered on her face as well but she didn't notice.

It never rose up so she hesitantly and weakly stood up. She picked up her phone from the floor and walked out of the room. There was a slight gaze to the cop but he was not breathing, the blood was still oozing from the wound in his neck. She left the room without turning away from the shape. Once again she returned downstairs and found Billy sitting against the front door. She wasn't sure if he was still alive but she didn't care. She grabbed him and dragged him out to the sidewalk. His body had tipped over the stool in front of the house and knocked over the jack-o-lantern, destroying it and the light within. She laid his head on her lap as she took out her phone and called the police. Her shaky hands caressed his head as she rocked herself back and forth; never blinking her widened eyes. The police arrived and helped them into the ambulances to be taken to the hospital. They searched around the destroyed house like they were supposed to. The victims were found and their families were told. There were a few other murders within the same neighborhood and the police quickly caught the similarities. Some of the older members of the police force immediately realized that their fears had come true. The incident that happened many years prior to this poor town had happened again. It also didn't appear to be over because as they searched and searched for the killer there, yet again, wasn't a body to be found.


End file.
